James MagazineJames_July-August_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 65
he Atlanta History Center’s
Draper Room in McElreath
Hall was the venue on May
21st for the annual James Magazine
“Influential Georgians” reception. Over
100 attendees were welcomed by
CEO/Publisher Phil Kent.
Kent presented the James “2026
Georgian of the Year Award” to Georgia Ports Authority President and CEO
Griff Lynch, who he called “a highly
respected public servant who oversees
Georgia’s important deep water coastal
and inland terminal operations that
are renowned nationally and around
the world.” Georgia Ports Authority
Chairman and prominent businessman
Alec Poitevint helped present Lynch his
award, recalling their friendship and
reminiscing about his job interview and
bringing him aboard the GPA in 2011.
He praised Lynch’s work ethic, calling
him “highly qualified and particularly
deserving of the James honor.”
Three “2026 Exceptional State
Lawmaker of the Year” awards were
also bestowed by Kent. One recipient
was state Senate pro tempore Larry
T
Walker III, R-Perry, who Kent praised
for his leadership and public service
while chairing and serving on a wide
range of important Senate committees.
He was assisted in the presentation by
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who noted Walker
was recently instrumental in implementing important policies ranging
from tax reduction to reducing bureaucratic overregulation.
The second honoree was state
House of Representatives Minority
Leader Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, who Kent said is the “respected
leader of the loyal opposition in the
House and the longest-serving female
member of that chamber.” Former
Democratic state Rep. CaMia Jackson
accepted the award for her longtime
friend and noted that “Leader Hugley
worked across party lines to craft
policy issues ranging from tax relief to
education to healthcare.”
A third honoree was state Rep.
Soo Hong, an attorney first elected in
2022 to represent parts of Gwinnett
and Hall counties and who Kent noted
“especially made a mark for herself
after becoming a House floor leader for
Gov. Brian Kemp during the 2023 legislative session.” State Rep. Rey Martinez
accepted the award in her absence. He
praised her work ethic and noted that
she appropriately serves on the House
Judiciary Committee as well as on
other key committees.
A special guest was James’ “2025
Georgian of the Year” state Agriculture
Commissioner Tyler Harper. Other
attendees included prominent Georgia
CEOs and businesspeople, various
Georgia General Assembly members,
along with lawyers and high-powered
lobbyists of government affairs firms.
The event’s premier sponsor was
the Atlanta-based Hall Booth Smith
law firm. Other event sponsors were
Gateway Terminals, Georgia Power, Norfolk Southern, Georgia Ports,
Alec and Doreen Poitevint, Balentine,
Savannah/Hilton Head International
Airport, AECOM, Moffatt & Nichol, Hussey Gay Bell, Carroll Daniel,
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton,
Lexicon Strategies and the Insurance
Company of America.
Georgia Ports Authority Chair Alec Poitevint
congratulates Georgia Ports Authority CEO Griff Lynch.
Former State Rep. CaMia Jackson accepts the Exceptional
Lawmaker award on behalf of State Rep. Carolyn Hugley.
State Rep. Rey Martinez accepts the Exceptional
Lawmaker award on behalf of State Rep. Soo Hong.
